


Love

by TheAwkwardStar



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Blood and Violence, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mentioned Ienzo (Kingdom Hearts), Mentioned Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Sora-Xehanort, Xehanort Possessing Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Yandere, tw blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-01 23:11:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17253173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAwkwardStar/pseuds/TheAwkwardStar
Summary: After Sora returns from a mission, he begins to act strangely around his friends. Mainly Kairi, who he seems to want to spend more time with.As Kairi uncovers the truth, it turns out to be much worse than she realized.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was mostly an experiment, and it's a two-parter. Just be warned that this is a bit more extreme than what I'm used to writing, despite being an idea that's been done before. Enjoy(?)

“Kairi…you sure about this?”

“I’ll be fine, Lea. It’s just a solo mission.”

“I don’t know about this…”

Kairi jutted out her bottom lip as Lea blocked the exit from the tower. He seemed to be uneasy. If she didn’t try to reassure him, there was no way she could go out to search for Sora.

“I’m going in the Gummi Ship. WITH Donald and Goofy.”

“Of course. But still….” Lea rubbed his head.

“The Organization. You know they’re still looking for the seven princesses.”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re one of them.”

“Uh huh.”

“And you aren’t worried? Especially since Sora disappeared at around the same time Ienzo gave us a warning call about the Organization being on the move? Sora hasn’t even bothered using his phone to contact us. Donald and Goofy said when they got to the mansion in Twilight Town, he just…vanished.”

“Which is why I’m going to go look for him.” Kairi gently pushed Lea out of the way to get past him. She felt him grab her arm.

“Let go, Lea.”

“At least wait for Riku. He has no idea about any of this.”

“We don’t have time to wait.”

“He’s your best friend too! Doesn’t he deserve to join you?!”

Kairi gritted her teeth. She yanked her arm away and turned to face him, furious. Lea took a step back.

“DON’T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?!?” Kairi’s voice cracked. “I WANT HIM TO BE HERE! I WANT SORA TO BE HERE!!! BUT THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO FOR THEM BY JUST SITTING HERE AND WAITING!!!”

Kairi sniffed.

“…I’m tired of waiting. So please, Lea…” Kairi rubbed her eyes.

“Just let me go. On my own. I know I can do it…”

Lea felt his heart twist at the way she looked at him.  It was a familiar expression that he couldn’t quite pinpoint….

Kairi and Lea jumped at the sound of a phone. Kairi dug into her pocket, realizing that it was coming from hers. She looked at the screen…and suddenly let the device slip out of her hand.

“Whoa!” Lea grabbed it before it hit the ground. He noticed Kairi’s shocked expression, then turned his head to the screen. His eyes widened. Lea swiped on the screen to pick up the call.

“Kai-Oh! Hey, Axel!”

Lea and Kairi stared at the screen blankly. Sora, who had been missing for an entire day with no trace of his phone signal or his very existence, simply tilted his head at them.

“Hey, you guys alright? You both look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Lea shook his head incredulously.

“It’s Lea. Where the hell have you been?”

“Huh?” Sora frowned. “What are you talking about? I’m still in Twilight Town. Oh, and Hayner, Pence, and Olette say hi!”

He turned his phone towards the three friends, who glared at Lea with animosity for a split second then turned their attention to Kairi. They each gave her a friendly wave. Kairi waved slowly back at them.

“Hope your training’s been okay, Kairi!” Olette chimed. “It’s probably way more fun than schoolwork.”

“At least using the computer in the mansion is fun to figure out!” Pence added. “Adds a little more excitement to the town.”

Hayner scoffed. “You’re just saying that because you’re a nerd who likes computers. I’m bored! Why can’t we join you to kick some bad guy butt, Sora?”

“Umm…because that wouldn’t be safe?” Sora stated.

“Don’t be such a killjoy, dude. You’re in danger all the time. Must be nice.”

“GUYS!”

Hayner, Pence and Olette went quiet at Kairi’s outburst. Sora turned the screen back towards himself.

“Kairi? What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?!?” Kairi snapped. “You disappear off the face of the universe for an entire day, and you’re asking me what’s wrong??? Where were you?!? Donald and Goofy were worried si-”

“-Kairi.”

She stopped, noticing Sora became more serious. He nodded in understanding.

“Sorry. Tell Donald and Goofy that I’m still here, okay? I’ll be there by your side soon.”

Kairi didn’t know how to respond to that. Sora hung up before she could think of something to say. Lea coughed awkwardly, then motioned for her to go past him to the Gummi Ship. Donald and Goofy were still waiting.

“…Well, somebody’s gotta tell them. You know them better than I do.” He laughed nervously.

Kairi stormed past him in silence. Lea rubbed his head.

“…Man. I’m really bad at this.”

*****

After a ride to and back from Twilight Town, a lengthy scolding from Donald and Goofy, and a thorough check-up on Lea and Kairi’s part, Sora had returned to Yen Sid’s tower. The master himself decided to get a good look at the boy once he entered the room.

“I’m fine, guys. Really!” Sora protested. “My phone didn’t work in the data Twilight Town, and I had to fight off some Organization members. No big deal.”

Yen Sid clamped his hands together, giving Sora a grave look.

“Were you able to locate Roxas?”

Sora looked down sadly.

“…No.”

“Were you able to fend off the Organization members?”

“Sort of? They left me alone.”

Yen Sid closed his eyes.

“…Is there anything we should be concerned about?”

Sora hesitated for a moment, which Kairi noticed. He then shook his head.

“…No.”

“Very well.” Yen Sid sat back in his chair. “…You may go. All of you.”

Sora turned around and left the room. Kairi, Lea, Donald, and Goofy followed shortly after. Once they reached one of the lower levels of the tower, Sora rushed over to Kairi and hugged her. Started by his actions, Kairi blushed.

“Sorry I worried you.”

Kairi grunted. “You’d better be sorry. You’re lucky Riku wasn’t here.”

“Heh, yeah.” Sora pulled back for a moment and smiled brightly at her.

“I’m just happy to be here again. With you.”

Kairi let go, raising her eyebrow at him.

“What’s up with you? You’re not usually this…’huggy’. Wait, is that even a word…?” Kairi tapped the side of her head.

Sora chuckled.

“You’re cute when you’re thinking.”

“Ooookay, I’m officially weirded out.” Lea raised his hands. “Since when did you become a regular Casanova?”

Sora shrugged, a faint shade of pink on his cheeks.

“I don’t know. I guess I just realized how important Kairi truly is to me, you know?”

“Kind of a bad time to start thinking about that sort of thing…” Lea muttered.

Goofy chortled. “Gawrsh, I find it sweet! I think it’s a good thing to be honest with yer feelings!”

“See? Goofy gets it.”

“Sure.” Donald scowled. “Let’s just forget what he did earlier. Why not.”

“Kairi forgives me for that. Don’t you?” Sora gazed at her intently.

Kairi clenched her hands.

“D….don’t put words in my mouth. I’m still processing everything that’s happened.”

“It’s okay. Just take your time.” Sora took her hand, but Kairi quickly pulled away.

“I-I….” Kairi spun around and sprinted down the stairs to her room.

“I need to be alone right now!” She shouted. They all heard her door slam shut.

“…Was it something I said?” Sora said cluelessly.

Donald threw his hands up and marched down the stairs, quacking something angrily to himself. Goofy patted Sora gently on the shoulder and went after the angry duck. Lea sighed.

“Look, man. You can’t just pretend everything’s fine. It’s okay to be honest with yourself. You messed up. You had us freaking out for a minute there. But that’s fine, as long as you learn from it.”

Sora hummed, seemingly disinterested by what Lea said.

“…Sure. I’m gonna go check on Kairi now.”

Lea grabbed him by the hood of his jacket before he could head down the stairs.

“I’m serious. Donald and probably Goofy are upset. I don’t know about Goofy to be honest. Hard to get a read on that guy sometimes. But Kairi? You screwed up big time with her. She’s hurt and confused. Give her some space, unless you want to piss her off.”

“It’s fine. I can stop her from hurting.”

Lea scoffed. “You’ll just make it worse, idiot. Do yourself a favor and…I dunno,  _train_  or something.”

Lea heard a faint growl from Sora as he yanked himself free. He started to walk away.

“You don’t know anything. I know Kairi better than anyone else here. She needs me, just as much as I need her.”

Lea crossed his arms as Sora headed down the stairs.

_…Jeez…why’s he so intense….?_

*****  
Kairi laid face-down in bed, thinking. Something about Sora’s disappearance and immediate reappearance bothered her. She understood that the data world worked differently from the real world, but…

…Even Sora’s attitude after the incident seemed off. No matter how nice he acted towards her, it felt like he wasn’t telling them everything….

Kairi raised her head at the sound of someone knocking on her door.

“…Who is it?”

“Can I come in? Please?”

Kairi’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of Sora’s voice. No, wait-she was still mad at him. Kairi buried her head into her pillow.

“Not now, Sora.”

“Come on, Kairi.”

“I said no.”

Kairi shot up when she heard the door open anyway. Sora sat down at the corner of her bed before she could protest. He grinned.

“Hi.”

“I said I didn’t want to talk right now.” Kairi laid back down.

“Okay. Then I’ll just sit here.”

“…There’s no changing your mind, is there.”

“Nope.”

Kairi groaned, burying her face into her pillow again. After a while, she started to feel something tenderly brushing against her hair.

…A hand.

“Sora.” Kairi slowly rose her head to look at him. He’d gotten off the bed to face her directly.

“Please.” Kairi forced a smile. _“Leave.”_

Sora sighed in resignation.

“Okay. I’ll…be around for a few days. If you need me.”

“Alright.” Kairi laid back down.

With that, Sora finally left the room as she had asked. Kairi felt a bit of unease.

 _…I don’t know why….but something about this is bothering me_.

*****

The next day, Kairi woke up to more incessant knocking. Still in her pajamas and her hair a disorganized mess, she answered the door. It was Sora again. With….breakfast this time?

“Morning, sleepyhead!” Sora gave her the tray of food. She noticed he was fully dressed.

“…What…time is it?”

“7:30 AM.”

Kairi’s eyes opened a little more.

“When…did you make this food?”

“I started at 5. Goofy and Axel helped! I think Donald is still mad at me.”

“Since when could you cook?” Kairi rubbed her eyes.

“Well, I learned a bit from a rat named Remy in Twilight Town, but it was mostly me. Anything to make you happy again! Please don’t be upset anymore.”

Kairi gave him a tired smile.

“…Okay. You win. I’m just glad that nothing happened to you.”

“Yes!” Sora fist-pumped. “Do you wanna eat together? I can go get a tray too!”

“Mmhmm…” Kairi yawned.

She watched as Sora bolted down the hall. Kairi looked down at the food, which had a delightful smell. He’d given her pancakes, eggs, bacon, and orange juice.

“…Aww. The pancakes are heart-shaped. And they have smiley faces made out of syrup?” Kairi giggled and sat down on the corner of her bed.

“This is so weird…but it’s also very sweet. I guess…I should wait for him to come back….”

Kairi started to doze off. She usually slept longer than this. Her eyelids drooped a bit, then closed for a few minutes. Once she opened them a tad, she saw someone else in the room.

“Sora…?” Kairi mumbled. “Is that…you…?”

The person’s clothes were white. After seeing the white sandals, she quickly realized that it wasn’t Sora after all. Her eyes opened a little more to focus.

“…Namine…?”

She remained silent, clenching her hands as she sat in the chair where Kairi’s desk was. Namine raised her head, giving her a fearful look.

“He’ll tell you…that he wants to mend the hurt in your heart…” She whispered.

“What…?” Kairi tilted her head. “My hurt? I don’t understand…”

Namine shook her head.

“Don’t let him, Kairi. Focus on his eyes.”

She blinked, and Namine was gone. Kairi brushed back her hair with her hands.

“…What was  _that_ all about…?”

 

“I’m back!”

 

Kairi looked over at Sora. He plopped down next to her, then looked down at her tray curiously.

 

“You haven’t eaten yet.”

 

“Oh! Sorry…” Kairi grabbed the fork and took a bite out of her pancake.

 

“I was just…sleepy. That’s all.” She stuffed another piece into her mouth.

 

“It’s really good…”

 

Sora frowned at her, then shrugged and went back to eating his food. Kairi thought about what Namine had said.

 

She wasn’t quite sure, but…his eyes seemed almost _green_ when he stared at her.

 

….Maybe it was just a trick of the light.

 

*****

The following days became progressively more and more unusual. Some days Sora would follow Kairi all over the place, initiating conversation about virtually anything he could think of. He never seemed to run out of things to say. And after the first day he had done it, Sora started to make breakfast every morning. He would always start before the sun came out. When the others asked him why, he simply told them that he was too restless for the next day to start.

 

“That’s just code word for ‘I can’t sleep’.” Lea took a sip of his coffee at the dining table, which Master Yen Sid had kept in remarkable condition with hardly any guests before.

 

“You really think so?” Kairi looked down at her orange juice. She had decided to eat at the table with Lea and the others this time. Eating in her room just wasn’t as appealing anymore.

 

“Trust me. I’m a professional at napping. I know when someone’s got insomnia.” Lea took another sip. “I had that for a while, too.”

 

“Why can’t he just say what he means???” Donald yelled in frustration. “He keeps talking all cryptic-like! IT’S DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!”

 

“Kinda reminds me of some of them Organization fellers!” Goofy exclaimed.

 

Kairi and the others looked at him in surprise. Goofy pulled off his hat.

 

“G-Gawrsh, I just realized how bad that sounds…”

 

“…Don’t even suggest things like that…” Kairi shook her head.

 

They ate in silence for a while. Lea was the first to break it, feeling uncomfortable.

 

“Where is he, anyway? Wasn’t he gonna come down for breakfast?”

 

“He likes eating in my room for some reason. And…staring at me. A lot.” Kairi bit her lip.

 

“…When I told him I didn’t want to anymore, and I just wanted to eat here with you guys…he told me was gonna go practice and he left to the training room. He didn’t seem too happy about what I said…”

 

“Alright, that’s it.” Lea rose up from his chair.

 

“Sora has been acting really bizarre lately. Making breakfast, not sleeping, following _you_ around like a dog….” Lea looked over at Kairi, who rubbed her arm. Lea shook his head.

 

“It’s too much. We’ve gotta interrogate him. Even if he doesn’t want to talk.”

 

“I agree!” Donald slid out of his seat.

 

Goofy put his hat back on and stood up.

 

“I’m worried too….”

 

“Kairi?” Lea turned his head towards her. “What about you?”

 

Kairi lowered her head.

 

“I….”

 

_You need to find out the truth._

 

Kairi shut her eyes at the sound of Naminé’s voice in her head. Reluctantly, she nodded.

 

“….Okay. Let’s go ask him.”

 

“Alright. I guess you’ll be the good cop, and I’ll be the bad cop.” Lea stretched his arms.

 

Seeing that Kairi was nervous, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

 

“Hey. Don’t worry. Everything’s gonna work out. You’ll see.” Lea winked at her.

 

 _….Some nerve I’ve got, saying that…._ Lea thought to himself.

 

_…Let’s hope I’m just being paranoid._

 

Lea led the way as they rushed upstairs to the training room. Kairi noted that she couldn’t hear Sora inside as she approached the door. She knocked lightly.

 

“Sora? Are you in there?”

 

No response.

 

“Are you still practicing? Or….taking a break?”

 

Silence. Though she started to pick up on the faintest sound of breathing.

 

“…I’m coming in, okay?”

 

Kairi grabbed the handle. Her hand trembled for a moment. She took a deep breath to soothe her nerves, then opened the door. The group poked their heads inside.

 

Kairi gasped. He was lying on the ground, unconscious.

 

“SORA?!”

 

Kairi ran over to him first with Lea, Donald, and Goofy on her tail. She kneeled down and lifted him up into her arms.

 

“Sora! Sora! Wake up!” Kairi shook him, but not too aggressively.

 

“Please, open your eyes!”

 

“…..Ngh…..”

 

Kairi breathed in sharply as Sora moved a bit. His head lolled over to the side.

 

“….Kai….ri…?”

 

“Yes, it’s me!” Kairi let out a small sigh of relief. “Are you okay? What happened?”

 

Kairi’s face turned red when he sat up and caressed her cheek. His eyes opened just a crack, and he smiled at her.

 

“Kairi….Kairi…..”

 

Kairi laughed softly.

 

“What? What is it?”

 

“Kairi.”

 

She looked over at Lea, who’d spoken up. His face had twisted into a grimace. Kairi’s smile faded when she noticed his weapon was out.

 

“…Lea? What are you doing?”

 

“Kairi, get back. You need to let him go.” Lea squeezed the hilt of his blade.

 

“What???”

 

“Look at him for a second, will ya?!?”

 

Kairi didn’t need to as she sensed something cold and metallic lightly pressing at her side, just below her chest area.

 

….It was his keyblade.

 

“Sora…?” Kairi looked at him in disbelief.  His bangs were obscuring the top half of his face.

 

“Tell them to leave.”

 

“What?” Kairi winced as he pressed the tip of his weapon against her ribcage.

 

“It’s just you and me now. They’re interrupting us.”

 

Lea took a few steps forward, then stopped when he saw Kairi visibly in pain from how deep Sora was pressing his weapon against her body.

 

“…Fine. We’re leaving.” Lea made his keyblade disappear, raising his hands.

 

“What are you doing?!?” Donald shouted. “You’re just gonna let him do that???”

 

“Do _you_ wanna see what he’ll do if we get in the way?”

 

“Donald…as much as I hate to say it, Lea’s got a point.” Goofy turned around.

 

“If Sora wants to be left alone with Kairi…we should leave him be.”

 

“But Goofy-!”

 

Goofy looked over at Donald and shook his head. Donald sighed, then followed Goofy and Lea out of the room. Once the door was shut behind them, Lea motioned for Donald and Goofy to get closer. Donald curved his beak.

 

“What’s the big idea? Something’s wrong with him! We can’t just leave him alone with her!”

 

“I never said we were going to.” Lea placed a hand on his forehead. “…I couldn’t think of any ideas in there. It reminded me too much of….something else.” Lea stared at the ground.

“Goofy picked up on what I was doing. I was trying to deescalate the situation. If we didn’t….I don’t think things would end well for Kairi.”

Goofy nodded in agreement, while Donald seemed even more lost than before.

“…Wait. You don’t think he w-was….really gonna-”

“Hurt her? _Kill her?”_ Lea interrupted. “Honestly, I couldn’t tell ya for sure. Let’s not take any chances. Give me a few minutes to think of a way to fix this.”

Lea looked back at the door.

Sora….is the reason why you’re suddenly like this….is it because of _him…?_

******

“Finally. We’re alone.”

Kairi breathed a bit more easy as Sora lowered his weapon.  She flinched as he leaned forward and hugged her tightly.

“….Sora….” Kairi started to sweat nervously. “Are you…feeling alright? Why did you do that?”

“I’m sorry,” He said in a soft, sincere tone. “I was just….tired of them getting in the way. I’ve been meaning to tell you something for the last few days.”

“Don’t you think your actions were a little extreme?”

“Just let me finish talking!!!”

Kairi went quiet, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Sora slowly let her go.

“…Are you afraid of me…?”

Kairi furrowed her brows, still unable to see his eyes.

“I don’t know, Sora. Give me a reason not to be.”

Without hesitation, Kairi reached up to his face and pushed his bangs out of the way. Her hands dropped, placing them over her mouth instead.

“Sora…why? Why didn’t you tell us?”

Sora grabbed her hands, gazing at her with his now piercingly yellow eyes.

“Why does it matter? I’m fine.”

“No…you’re not. They got to you, too even after you….” Kairi teared up.

“…You promised me you would be honest from now on. No more secrets. But you lied. You lied to all of us.”

“They wouldn’t have let me come here to see you if I hadn’t.” Sora squeezed her hands a little.

“But this only makes things worse!” Kairi cried. “You were supposed to be careful! You’re supposed to lead us! How can you do that if you just become more like Xehanort??? The person we’re trying to STOP?!?”

Kairi freed one of her hands and jabbed him in the chest.

“And what about Roxas??? Does he not get to have a say in any of this??? Does he really deserve to become a pawn of that monster too?!”

Sora sighed. He placed a hand on her cheek and smiled, gazing at her dreamily.

“…You act like I care about any of that stuff anymore.”

Kairi turned pale. “What…?”

“Think about it, Kairi. I lied to my friends, for you. I forced myself to learn how to cook, for you. I even stopped sleeping for you. Just so I could could watch you every moment of every day, uninterrupted….”

Kairi moved back slightly, but it was just enough for Sora to notice. He gripped her arm tightly before she could stand up.

“Sora,  you’re hurting me…!”

“All I want is  _you_ now, Kairi. It’s as simple as that.” Sora forcefully pulled her into a hug, catching the scent of her hair.

“…You smell nice. Just like flowers…” He whispered into her ear.

“…Maybe we should ditch this place. Go somewhere nice, like Radiant Garden. Leon and the gang will be there, and I’m sure they’ll really like you. Oh yeah! You lived there before too, right? With your grandma. I wonder if she’s still alive…” Sora grinned.

“Stop….” tears were streaming down Kairi’s face as she tried freeing herself from his iron grip, but Sora didn’t seem to take notice. He was too distracted by his own thoughts.

“….I love you. You know that? I won’t let you hurt anymore. I can be your prince, and you can be my princess. We can live happily ever after, forever…” Sora kissed her cheek.

“Yo, _Sora!”_

He pulled out his keyblade and deflected a fireball that had come barreling towards them. Sora glared icily over at Lea, who placed his keyblade on his shoulder. Donald and Goofy were on either side of him with their weapons out as well.

“…You almost hit Kairi.” Sora grinded his teeth. ** _“Traitors.”_**

Lea tutted at Sora condescendingly.

“Wow. You actually think I’d hit her on purpose? It’s like you don’t even trust me.”

_“You aren’t above that sort of thing.”_

“Ouch.” Lea shook his head. “But nah. For starters, I knew you’d fend it off easily. It was also a distraction.”

“….Distraction? From wh-”

Sora was cut off by Kairi’s fist colliding with the side of his face. She wrestled herself free from him and rushed over to Lea’s side, finally summoning her own keyblade.

“Next time, don’t be such a creep to the girl you like. Maybe then she won’t clock you in the face.” Lea smirked.

Sora rubbed the spot where Kairi had hit him. He gave her a betrayed, saddened look.

“Kairi….don’t you want to be by my side? Or do you honestly prefer your kidnapper and two lackeys you barely even know?”

Donald and Goofy appeared to be hurt by his statement. Kairi bared her teeth.

“At least  _they’re_  honest. I don’t know who you are anymore. You aren’t the Sora I know and care about.”

“Yeah, cut the act already.” Lea tapped his foot. “…We know you’re the one pulling the strings…. _Xehanort._  What do you want?”

Sora lowered his head. He started to chuckle to himself, making the others anxious.

“I told you before…didn’t I?” A wide, eerie smile formed on his mouth.

“I want her. The princess of heart. Kairi. None of you here even know how to use her properly. But I do.”

“She’s not something you can use!” Donald protested.

“Yeah! She’s our friend! Just like you, Sora!” Goofy raised his shield defensively in front of Kairi and the others. “And nothin’s ever gonna change that!”

“Donald….Goofy….” Kairi smiled faintly at them.

Sora spun his keyblade around, getting into a fighting stance.

“Nothing you say means ANYTHING TO ME!!!”

Sora charged at them, and Goofy prepared himself to block. Before he could reach them, his keyblade collided with Lea’s.

“I don’t think so!” Lea pushed him back.

“Why do you always have to get in the way?!?”

Sora smacked his weapon against Lea’s several times, who simply parried the attacks with remarkable precision. They fired a few magic spells at each other as well, attempting to gain the upper hand. Kairi watched them tensely, wincing each time their weapons made contact with each other. Eventually they both stopped to catch a breath, drained from being equally matched.

“Reminds you….of old times, right?” Lea wiped the sweat off of his brow. “You still know how to pack a punch…”

Sora laughed.

“Of course I do. But eventually those memories will fade, replaced by the ones of the person who truly owns this body and this heart.” He placed a hand on his chest.

“…When this is over, and I finish you off for good…I won’t remember you. I’ll make sure…that NO ONE WILL.”

What Sora had said clearly struck a deep nerve. Kairi saw an expression she’d hadn’t seen on Lea’s face until now.

….Rage.

Lea charged at Sora, and slashed at him. But he missed.

He felt an indescribable amount of pain as Sora sidestepped, and everything went white.

Kairi stared in horror as Lea shrieked, falling to the ground. Sora had pulled out two keyblades and used them to carve a familiar mark on Lea’s back. Despite the coat being black, she could make out the blood seeping onto it from the injury.

“A reminder….for you to know your place.” Sora walked over to Lea, who struggled to stand back up. He kicked him back down.

“…Goodbye.” Sora raised both keyblades over his limp body.

“NO!!!”

Sora was stopped from dealing the finishing blow. Kairi’s arms shook as she stood over Lea, pushing back Sora as much as she could. Kairi was sobbing as she did so, looking at Sora with pleading eyes.

Sora closed his eyes. He backed away from her. Kairi dropped her weapon and got on her knees to check Lea. She pressed her hands against his back and started using healing magic.

“….You protected him.”

Kairi nodded.

“…He’s my _friend.”_

Sora rubbed his head.

“….Okay. You win. But only because I don’t want to damage your beautiful face.” Sora smiled again at her, but his eyes were dull. He looked exhausted.

Kairi watched in shock as he opened a dark corridor with one hand. He started walking towards it, but not before he glanced back at her longingly.

“…I’ll come back for you…princess.”

Kairi squeezed her eyes shut as he left. Donald and Goofy rushed over to help her heal Lea, then lift him up to carry him to his room. She glanced back at the spot where Sora had disappeared.

_I’m sorry. Next time….I’ll be ready for you, Sora._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alongside their friends, Kairi and Riku set out on a rescue mission to save Sora from Organization XIII. Despite leaving willingly, they believe it's still possible to reason with him.
> 
> The question is if Sora is still the same as they remember...

_...At first, I thought I was just imagining it. _

 

_ A voice. Whispering things to me every once in a while. Mainly just comments about what went on. _

 

_ ….But as the darkness in my heart grew stronger, so did that voice. And after a while...I finally realized who was talking to me. _

 

_...So I asked him. More than once. _

 

“Why did you choose me? Why did it have to be  _ me?” _

 

_ …. _

 

_...He still hasn’t answered that question. _

 

_ But he sure likes to push me to do things I’d rather not do. _

 

_ Like...when I got mad at Axel. I didn’t want to, originally. But he wouldn’t let me go to her.  _

 

_ So the voice pushed, and this time I listened. Because I was desperate. Because I HAD to see her. _

 

_ I had to spend as much time with her as possible. Before I….I ended up losing myself. _

 

_ It was inevitable. That made all the time with her more precious. _

 

_ ….. _

 

_ ….I still don’t think I went about it the right way, though. _

 

_ I scared her. _

 

_ I...hurt her. In more ways than one. _

 

_...Would I do it again? _

 

_ ….Maybe. I don’t know. _

 

_ ….I don’t know...anything. Except for the fact that I… _

 

_ ….I… _

 

_ ….I love her.  _

 

_ I love her so much that it hurts. _

 

_ I’d do anything for her. Anything to see her smile again. _

 

_ …But the way I am now...I don’t think she will. The darkness inside me is too great for her to see anything else. _

 

_ …. _

 

_...The voice will help.  _

 

_ He’s smart. _

 

_ He knows what to do. He knows how she works. _

 

_ Even if it isn’t the best kind of guidance….it’s all I’ve got. _

 

_...I will see her again. I just know it. _

 

_ I need her to see past everything. To just see ME. No matter what I do from here on out. _

 

_...Maybe then...her light will show me the way. _

 

_ I’m still here. I promise I am.  _

 

_ **** _

 

Kairi sat down on a large boulder, watching the sunset. She sighed, rubbing her arms anxiously.

 

“...Hey, you’re out here too.”

 

Kairi spun around in shock to see Lea, smiling at her.

 

“Ax-I mean, _ Lea!”  _ She stood up. “Are you... _ really _ feeling okay enough to be out of bed…?”

 

“Relax, kiddo. I’m _ fine.” _ Lea approached her, ruffling her hair before he sat down on the boulder. 

 

“It’ll take more than a scratch to bring me down.”

 

Kairi placed her hands on her hips.

 

“That wasn’t a ‘scratch’. It’s a  _ gaping wound _ across your back, in the shape of an ‘X’. Which I  _ should _ check in a bit to make sure there’s no infection…”

 

Lea looked down at his hands, and clenched them.

 

“....Huh. I guess this means we match now….”

 

“What?” Kairi raised an eyebrow.

 

Lea shook his head.

 

“Forget what I said.” Lea glanced at her.

 

“...Anyways...how are _ you  _ doing?”

 

Kairi closed her eyes.

 

“I could be better. I can’t stop thinking about what happened.” 

 

She pushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear as the wind picked up.

 

“...I wish I could’ve done more.”

 

“Hey.” Lea placed a hand on her shoulder.

 

“It’s not your fault. You  _ tried,  _ alright? You did what you could to help him. All we can do now is try again.”

 

“But trying isn’t eno-”

 

Lea cut her off by covering her mouth.

 

“Man, Kairi. You’ve seriously gotta learn how to relax. We’ve got another match tomorrow, remember? And I heard from Master Yen Sid that Riku and Mickey are coming back as we speak. Focus on that.”

 

Kairi smiled. “It’ll be great to see them again. I wonder if they succeeded with their mis- _ wait a minute!” _ she suddenly frowned.

 

_ “You didn’t tell Merlin or the master to postpone our match?!?” _

 

“What’s the big deal?” Lea rubbed his head. “Believe it or not, I’m actually  _ tired  _ of taking naps now. And taking naps is kinda my thing. I  _ need  _ this match. Gotta stretch out the muscles I haven’t used in a while...”

 

Kairi scrunched up her nose. 

 

“Okay. But I’m going easy on you.”

 

“What? No way. That would be  _ boring _ . Give me everything you’ve got, Kairi.”

 

“.....” Kairi gave him a worried look.

 

“...Are you _ sure?” _

 

“Absolutely.” Lea chuckled. “I want a _ challenge.” _

 

Kairi smirked. “Well, that isn’t like you. You’re usually too  _ lazy _ to want to have a serious fight.”

 

“Hey! I can be serious!” Lea shoved her playfully, to which Kairi laughed a little.

 

“Yeah, sure.” She stuck out her tongue.

 

“Just watch. I’ll wipe the floor with you, even  _ with _ an injury!” Lea raised his fist, then teared up shortly after.

 

“...Ow.”

 

“Don’t move too quickly! Unless you  _ want _ the wounds to reopen.”

 

“Okay,  _ mom.  _ I’ll be good.”

 

“....You’re such a weirdo.” Kairi rolled her eyes.

 

Lea snickered, and went back to watching the sunset. As he did, a fond memory came to mind. A ghost of a smile formed on his mouth.

 

“Hey, Kairi. Betcha don’t know why the sun sets red.”

 

*****

 

**_“You have arrived.”_ **

 

_ A smug grin formed on Xemnas’s mouth. The boy, obscuring his face with his hood, said nothing as he entered the white room. The seats standing ominously above him had each member gazing down at him with those horrible yellow eyes. _

 

_...The same eyes he was now doomed to wear as well. _

 

_ One of the figures in the black coats pulled down his own hood, revealing himself to the boy. The Gambler Of Fate stroked his chin curiously, then smiled. _

 

_ “Well then. Why don’t we give him a proper greeting by letting him have one of our coats? Those enchanted garments he currently wears simply won’t work with our aesthetic.” _

 

_ “I dunno, I think it looks neat!” One figure chimed in. The boy flinched, vaguely recognizing his voice. _

 

_ “You’re just saying that because you want to wear something different, Demyx. No one cares if it ‘kills your musical vibe’ or whatever,” A female voice hissed.  _

 

_ The boy noticed her tapping her fingers impatiently. _

 

_ “Can we get this stupid induction over with? I have somewhere to be.” _

 

_ Another member cleared his throat. “As do I. His very existence continues to be uninteresting for me. The Superior’s interest in this boy is baffling.”  _

 

_ “Patience, everyone.” A third figure raised his hand. “...I suppose I’ll give him the coat, wait for whatever the Superior has to say, then we can be on our way.” _

 

_ “But Marluxia…” Larxene gritted her teeth. “...In case you haven’t noticed, ‘The Superior’ isn’t even HERE.” She thrust her hand up towards the center seat, which was as empty as she said. _

 

_ “It’ll take FOREVER if we wait for him. Give him the coat so I can leave already.” _

 

_ One of the smaller figures let out a low chuckle. That particular member already had his hood down, but his face was covered by a mask. _

 

_...Once again, the sound of another familiar voice made the boy flinch. Only this one made his heart ache. He wasn’t sure why. _

 

**_“I agree with her. Let’s ditch this place. We’re wasting enough time as it is.”_ **

 

_ “At least SOMEONE gets it.” Larxene crossed her arms. _

 

_ Marluxia sighed, then vanished into a whirlwind of rose petals. He then reappeared in front of the boy and gave him the coat. Marluxia pulled off his hood for a moment to get a good look at their newest member, who raised his head in response. _

 

_ Marluxia sneered. _

 

_ “...Welcome back.” _

 

_ With that, all of the Organization members disappeared. He was left alone. A bitter feeling he would have to get used to. _

 

_ Sora looked down at the coat in his hands, then pulled something out of his pocket.  _

 

_ The lucky charm. _

 

_...HER lucky charm. _

 

_ He squeezed it as tears began to fall from his eyes. _

 

_ “....Kairi….” _

 

_ ***** _

 

“Take this!”

 

Kairi blasted Lea in the face with a wave of ice magic. She stifled a laugh as he poked at his now entirely frozen hair.

 

“Nice look, porcupine!”

 

“Ha ha, very funny.” Lea started to heat himself up, causing his body to release steam. His spiky red hair thawed out after a few minutes.

 

“You’re gonna regret that. Get ready!” Lea charged at her.

 

Kairi got into a defensive stance.

 

“I’m always ready!”

 

Further away, Master Yen Sid and Merlin watched the two aspiring keyblade masters with quiet anticipation. Merlin chortled heartily to himself.

 

“Oh, it does my heart good to see such bright pupils, growing in the way of the sword!” Merlin clasped his hands together. “This sort of thing tends to bring a tear or two to my eyes…”

 

“Does it remind you of your previous students?” Yen Sid inquired.

 

“Indeed it does! Arthur was quite a bit of a handful, you know. As well as Leon and Yuffie, who were always too restless to listen. Got in all sorts of shenanigans, those two.” Merlin straightened his glasses.

 

“Sora, Donald, and Goofy were the most curious students I’ve ever had yet! Showing such remarkable teamwork, yet horrendous proficiency with their own weapons and magic when they started out!” Merlin laughed.

 

“I honestly wasn’t sure if they were ready for such a difficult task as... _ saving the world. _ But they exceeded my expectations! Which were low.”

 

_ “We’re right here, you know.” _

 

“Oh!” Merlin looked over at Donald and Goofy, who had also shown up to observe the match. Donald narrowed his eyes at the wizard, who averted his eyes and started sweating nervously.

 

“My my! Is it me, or is it getting hot in here?!? Perhaps I should change into more casual attire.”

 

“Please don’t.” Donald curved his beak. “Your normal outfit looks like a rainbow threw up all over your clothes!”

 

“...I suppose when you put it that way, it is rather inappropriate for the occasion…” Merlin fumbled with his fingers.

 

“Gawrsh, I think it’s gonna be a close match!” Goofy leaned forward in his seat.

 

The others turned their attention back to Lea and Kairi, who were now simply clashing with their keyblades. They eventually started pushing against each other, seeing which one would overpower the loser first.

 

Lea smirked, then finally shoved Kairi back. But as he lunged at her to knock her down, Kairi abruptly leaped high into the air. She did a flip, landed behind Lea, then used her keyblade to smack him in the legs. He let out a startled yelp as he fell to the ground. When he tried to stand up, Kairi placed her keyblade on his chest. She smiled mischievously. 

 

“I win.”

 

Lea grinned, shaking his head. He gently pushed her keyblade to the side and stood back up. He dusted off his black coat.

 

“About time. I was worried that I was always gonna beat you.”

 

“We’ve only had two matches before this!” Kairi huffed. “So what if I lost those? Now I’m catching up!”

 

“That’s the spirit, _ princess.” _ Lea laughed a little as Kairi lightly punched his arm.

 

Kairi and Lea jumped a little when they heard loud clapping from the end of the row of bleachers. Kairi turned her head, and her eyes immediately lit up. 

 

“Not bad, Kairi. You might be even better than me when I started out.”

 

_ “Riku!!!” _ Kairi ran out of the arena and tackled one of her best friends with a hug. Riku chuckled, patting her head.

 

“Wow. Didn’t realize you missed me so much.”

 

“Are you kidding?!?” Kairi raised her head. “I’ve been really worried about you! The Realm Of Darkness is no joke.”

 

“In that case, I’m glad we came back when we did!”

 

Kairi looked past Riku to see Mickey approaching. She kneeled down and gave him a hug as well, then rose back up.

 

“So!” Kairi placed her hands behind her back. “How did the mission go? Did you guys find Aqua?”

 

Riku and Mickey’s smiles faltered. They exchanged a worried glance.

 

“...It...didn’t work out like we thought it would.” Riku rubbed his right arm.

 

“...Oh…” Kairi looked to the side, disheartened by their words.

 

Not wanting to see Kairi upset, Riku decided to change the subject.

 

“...On the bright side, I got a new keyblade!” Riku summoned his brand-new weapon, which Kairi gawked at.

 

“Wow! It looks really nice! And...like a giant car key?” She giggled.

 

Riku rolled his eyes. 

 

“...Sometimes you sound _ exactly  _ like Sora. It’s uncanny.” He looked around.

 

“...By the way...where is he? Since Donald and Goofy are here, he wouldn’t be in another world. They’re kind of inseperable. Unless he _ wanted _ to do a solo mission…”

 

Kairi felt her heart plummet. Riku noticed her sudden change in demeanor and placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked like she was struggling to not cry.

 

“Hey, what’s wrong? Did something...happen to him?”

 

Kairi shut her eyes as a single tear streamed down her cheek.

 

“...Riku...I….”

 

*****

 

He punched the wall.

 

_...No. No!  _

 

He punched it again, feeling it bit a of pain. That was definitely going to hurt more later. Kairi gazed at Riku sadly as they all stood in Yen Sid’s room.

 

“...What are we supposed to do now…?” Goofy said quietly.

 

Donald grumbled angrily, tapping his foot. 

 

“...We’ve lost Master Aqua. We’ve lost Sora. Everyone that deserves to be on our team is on the side of  _ darkness _ now…”

 

“...Ohhhh…” Donald pulled off his hat and threw it down to the floor.

 

_ “It’s hopeless!  _ We’re fighting a battle we just can’t win, so what’s the  _ POINT?!?” _

 

“Donald…” Goofy extended his hand towards his friend, who simply turned away.

 

“NO! You can’t say anything that’ll change my mind! Without Sora, we’re  _ useless!” _

 

Donald’s shoulders began to tremble.

 

“...S-some friends  _ we _ are…”

 

Goofy kneeled down and gave Donald a hug, who started sniffing as he buried his face into his friend’s jacket. Mickey approached them and joined in the hug as well.

 

“I’m sorry, Donald. I wasn’t here when you needed my help.”

 

“...Neither was I.” Riku lowered his head.

 

The dreary mood hung heavily in the air, filling them all with unease. Kairi pulled out her keyblade and held it in her hands.

 

_...I wonder...if Sora ever asked why the keyblade chose him. I'm definitely questioning that now. _

 

Kairi noticed the paopu fruit hanging off of the keychain. She remembered the promise they’d made to each other.

 

_...Wherever you go, I'm always with you. _

 

She squeezed the hilt of her blade.

 

“...No.”

 

Riku and the others looked at her. Kairi swung her keyblade a bit.

 

“I won't let this happen. We can’t let Xehanort win.” She gave them all a piercing glare.

 

“He's done enough damage. It's up to us to fix what he's broken.”

 

“What are you saying, Kairi?” Mickey tilted his head.

 

Kairi raised her weapon, then pointed it at the window.

 

“...I'm going to go bring Sora back. Then we'll save everyone else, just like we promised we would.”

 

Kairi turned back towards them, smiling confidently. She stuck out her hand.

 

“Now, who's with me?”

 

Riku approached her first. He gently placed his hand on top of hers, then nodded firmly. 

 

“...Well, I've got nothing else to lose.” Lea shrugged as he placed his hand on top of theirs. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy followed shortly after.

 

“All for one, and one for all!” They exclaimed in unison.

 

“Hear, hear!” Merlin shook his fist. “I'll help in any way that I can.”

 

“As will I.” Yen Sid smiled faintly.

 

“Guys…” Donald rubbed his head. “...This is great and all, but we still don't have a plan to bust him out.”

 

“I have an idea!” Kairi spun around to face Merlin.

 

“...You can teleport wherever you want, right?”

 

“Err….” Merlin stroked his beard. “I can, as long as I'm concentrating…”

 

Kairi nooded sharply. 

 

“...In that case, we have more than one way to get inside that castle. Now all we have to do is come up with a solid plan to get Sora out safely and quietly. We can figure this out, I just know it.”

 

Feeling just a glimmer of hope, Riku nodded in agreement.

 

“...Yeah. As long as we’re all working together, we can do anything.”

 

He closed his eyes for a moment.

 

_ Isn’t that right...Sora? _

 

****

 

….He was tired.

 

So, so, tired.

 

...But he couldn’t bring himself to sleep.

 

...Not without...her.

 

Kairi. He missed her sweet, calming voice. Her warm embrace. Her luscious red hair. The feeling of her smooth skin against his calloused hands…

 

...It drove him crazy, just thinking about it and not experiencing it. All he had was her lucky charm.

 

He would sometimes talk to it, pretending it was her. So he could at least sleep a little. Some of the Organization members would catch him doing it and gave him strange looks, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care about what they were doing. He honestly wanted no part in it, despite how much that grating, incessant voice in his head persisted in trying to make him do bad things.

 

He didn’t seem to care about much of anything, anymore. 

 

All he wanted was Kairi. That would never change. He wouldn’t forget her, no matter how much they tried to make him forget. He would say her name a thousand times if it was the only way for her to stay in his thoughts forever.

 

_ Kairi. Kairi. Kairi. Kairi. Kairi. Kairi. Kairi. Kairi. Kairi. Kairi….. _

 

“Hey. Hey Sora.  _ Sora!” _

 

He snapped out of his thoughts at the sensation of someone poking his arm. 

 

“You alright, dude? You’ve been standing in the middle of the hall for ten minutes, just staring at that weird arts-and-crafts project in your hand.”

 

_ Demyx. _ Sora gave him an annoyed look, to which the Melodious Nocturne smiled nervously.

 

“Well? Don’t leave me hanging.”

 

Sora placed the charm back into his pocket.

 

“...I’m fine.” He walked past the Organization member without another word.

 

Demyx whistled. “...Two words. That’s a new record! Shouldn’t have expected much else, I guess…”

 

Sora kept his head low and sped up a little, in a rush to reach the room they’d given him. At least there, he wouldn’t be disturbed.

 

….Not paying attention to his surroundings wasn’t a smart idea though, as he accidentally bumped into yet another member.

 

“Ugh. Watch where you’re going.” 

 

Sora peered up slightly. It was the one named Larxene again. She glared down at him with animosity, placing her hands on her hips.

 

“...Well? Aren’t you going to step out of the way for a _ lady? _ ” She raised her head indignantly.

 

“....” Sora’s fingers twitched, eager to reach for the charm in his pocket.

“...Or just stand there like a brainless idiot. That’s fine too. You and Roxas _ really  _ have a lot in common, it seems. Congrats.”

 

Larxene pushed him out of the way. It jostled his coat enough for the charm to slip out and land on the floor with a faint  _ clink. _

 

She stopped walking. It was just loud enough for her to hear. Larxene turned her head.

 

“What was…” Her eyes widened as she noticed the charm on the ground, which Sora immediately scrambled to grab. Larxene snatched it up before he could reach it.

 

“Well, well.” Larxene smiled ominously. “What have we here? You know how The Superior feels about any ties to our pasts.”

 

Larxene laughed. “I don’t believe it. Even after all this time, you’re  _ still _ holding onto this tacky little trinket! Then again, it’s YOU. Of course  _ you _ would still hold onto something this…’sentimental’.”

 

“Give it back!” Sora swiped with his hand to grab it, but Larxene mockingly held it above his head.

 

She hummed. “Still too short to reach me, huh? Or maybe I just got taller. Who knows at this point.” 

 

_ “I said give it back!” _ He cried.

 

Larxene snorted, placing her free hand over her mouth. 

 

“Aww, is the wittle ‘hero’ sad that he can’t get his filthy wittle hands on his special girl’s charm?” Larxene dangled it a little more, which seemed to aggravate Sora more.

 

“Well, too bad! Not like you deserve a girl like her, anyways. I mean, look at you!” Larxene grabbed his face.

 

“You’re nothing but a  _ ghost _ of who you used to be. Obsessed with chasing memories of the past that you refuse to let go. Talking to an inanimate object like it’s your _ best friend. _ Don’t think we haven’t all noticed!”

 

Larxene cackled as she avoided getting slugged in the face by him. She finally lowered her arm, clutching Kairi’s charm.

 

“....Honestly, it’s  _ pathetic _ . I almost pity you. So why don’t I finally rid you of your pain by  _ destroying  _ this piece of garbage?!?”

 

_ “Larxene.” _

 

She felt someone grab her arm. Larxene glanced up and scowled.

 

“Marluxia, let go. I’m trying to teach this brat a lesson.”

 

“He’s learned enough.” Marluxia squeezed. “...This is NOT what The Superior asked you to do.”

 

“Why do you care so much anyways?!?” Larxene snapped.

 

Marluxia grimaced.

 

“...If we do not learn to function as a unit, our efforts within this Organization would have been for  _ nothing. _ We must act as one. Not.  _ Destroy each other.  _ Unless you  _ forgot _ how well that worked last time.”

 

“Let him have his trinket. Once the time comes, he will no longer care for it.”

 

Larxene hesitated for a moment, looking between Sora and the charm. She then tossed it carelessly onto the floor. Sora got on his knees and grabbed it desperately, inspecting it to see if any pieces were broken. Larxene glowered at Sora with disgust.

 

“Whatever. He’s not worth my time, anyways.”

 

Marluxia and Sora watched as Larxene stormed off. Sora lowered his head.

 

“...Why did you help me…?”

 

Marluxia scoffed, swishing his hair.

 

“I didn’t do it for you. It was Xehanort’s will. I merely acted upon that.”

 

“...Hm.” 

 

Marluxia placed a hand on his forehead.

 

“...But I suppose...it reminded me of something as well.”

 

Marluxia strolled away, leaving it at that. Sora hugged Kairi’s charm tightly.

 

_...I’ll never let you go again. Never. Never. Never…. _

 

****

At the very bottom of the castle, Merlin appeared from a puff of smoke. Riku, Kairi, and Lea had joined him.

 

“...I'm afraid this is as far as I can go. My magic can't seem to get through this confounded castle...” Merlin grumbled.

 

“No no, this is perfect!” Kairi smiled at the old wizard.

 

“Thank you so much, Merlin. We really appreciate it.”

 

Merlin smiled warmly. “Oh, it was nothing dear. But if you do find Sora and he is well, say hello to him for me!”

 

The wizard vanished again, leaving nothing but a few sparks of magic. Kairi turned back to the boys.

 

“Okay. Mickey, Donald and Goofy are going to be here soon in the Gummi Ship. They're supposed to be the distraction while we sneak in through this entrance.” 

 

Kairi looked down, mildly concerned.

 

“...I hope that everything works out…”

 

“Don't worry.” Riku patted her shoulder. “We can do this.”

 

“As long as we don't get caught first…” Lea muttered.

 

Riku elbowed him from the side. Lea rubbed the spot where he’d been hit, looking irritated.

 

“...What I  _ meant _ to say was that we have to keep our eyes and ears peeled. The Organization is full of dangerous people. They won't hesitate to take us out if they need to.”

 

Riku nodded in agreement.

 

“...Let’s get going, then.” 

 

The three keyblade wielders made their ways inside the castle. As they did, the sound of magic spells being cast and angry quacking could be heard echoing faintly down the halls.

 

“Looks like Mickey and the others made it. We should hurry.” Lea sped up, while Riku and Kairi stayed close to him. 

 

As they snuck around the castle, searching the rooms for Sora, Kairi glanced over at Riku nervously.

 

“...Riku?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Kairi bit her lip.

 

“...Before we find him, there's...something else I should tell you.””

 

“What is it?” Riku turned his head towards her with a worried expression.

 

“...” She took a deep breath.

 

“...When Sora came back to Yen Sid’s tower...he acted really weird around me. He wouldn’t leave me alone, not even for a second. He started ignoring the others too after a while. Things like hugs or just touching my hair became uncomfortable.”

 

Kairi started to sweat nervously.

 

“...Whatever Xehanort’s influence did...it felt like we were losing him. All he cared about was having me for himself. Probably for another one of Xehanort's twisted plans.” She placed a hand on her chest.

 

“...He was so close, yet so far away…it scared me. And I...I still kind of am.”

 

Riku’s eyebrows creased.

 

“Hey Lea, stop for a second.”

 

Lea slowed down, then came to a halt. Kairi gave Riku a confused look as he turned to face her.

 

“...You’re really brave for coming with us, Kairi. You’re a lot stronger than you think. But if anything happens between you and Sora...I promise I’ll be there to help.”

 

“But…” Kairi winced. “...What if something goes wrong? What if he attacks you guys, just to get to me...?”

 

Riku shook his head, giving her a reassuring smile.

 

“We’re his best friends. We’ll knock some sense into him.”

 

He looked down the hall.

 

“We’ll show Xehanort that our friendship is stronger than  _ anything _ he throws at us.”

 

Kairi smiled.

 

“You know, sometimes you sound like him, too.”

 

“...Sora tends to rub off on people.” Riku shrugged nonchalantly. “Now come on. He’s bound to show up soon.”

 

Kairi nodded quickly, relieved that she’d gotten some of the weight of stress lifted off her shoulders.

 

“Right.”

 

****

 

_ “We have intruders. Members of the Guardians Of Light.” _

 

Sora couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

 

The Guardians Of Light. That meant.. _.Kairi  _ was with them! He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, or do something in between.  Either way...the emotion was overwhelming.

 

Saix noted the visible shift in Sora’s demeanor. Scowling, he marched over to the boy.

 

“You are NOT to engage with the enemy. Don’t go forming any ideas of your own.”

 

_ Already did. _

 

“...Wipe that stupid look off your face before I  _ make you.” _

 

Sora ignored the threat, smiling to himself. Saix grunted, stormed over to Demyx and jabbed him in the chest with his index finger.

 

“Make sure that our newest member doesn’t get into any trouble. It’s all you’re good for, anyways.”

 

“Harsh. And no way! I’m not gonna be his babysitter.”

 

“Don’t even  _ think  _ about asking me.” Larxene turned her head away.

 

Luxord waved his hand dismissively. “Sora can handle himself.”

 

“Agreed,” Vexen and Marluxia said unanimously, which seemed to irk them both.

 

Saix pressed his fingers against his temple.

 

“...Xemnas, the younger Superior, Xigbar and both Ansems are currently unavailable. That only leaves the replica, which I will NOT allow, and…”

 

**“I’ll do it.”**

 

Saix glared icily at the boy in the mask.

 

_ “Absolutely not.” _

 

**“What, you don’t trust me to keep him in check?”** Vanitas placed his hands on his sides.

 

**“I’m your only option. And what’s not to trust? Aside from his other selves,** **_I’m_ ** **the one who’s known Xehanort the longest.”**

 

“He makes a valid point…” Luxord stated.

 

Saix raised an eyebrow.

 

“...Very well. But if I catch wind of you doing  _ anything _ suspicious, The Superior will hear about it.”

 

**“Tch. Tattle-tale.”**

 

Saix shoved his way past Vanitas and Sora, heading in the direction of all the noise Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were making. The other members watched as Isa angrily slammed his fist into a wall, then kept moving. He’d left a small crack in it.

 

“...Jeez. He's as intense as ever…” Demyx pouted.

 

Luxord shrugged. “Can you blame him? Things always seem to go wrong when the seven guardians decide to show up.”

 

“Good thing there's only  _ six _ of them now, then.” Larxene smirked.

 

“Hmph.” Vexen spun around and started heading in the same direction where Isa had gone.

 

“...Let's just see what they're up to. I'll admit that I am curious.”

 

The Organization members left the area, except for Sora and Vanitas. The masked boy glanced at Sora.

 

Inside his mask, he grinned as an idea popped into his head.

 

**“Hey.”**

 

Sora looked over at Vanitas, a bit surprised that he was actually addressing him. He was one of the few members that actively avoided him, pretending he didn't exist.

 

**“...I don't know what you're waiting for. You wanted to see the princess, didn't you?”**

 

“...” Sora nodded sheepishly.

 

**“Then do it.”** Vanitas laid his back against the wall.  **“I won't stop you.”**

 

**“...After all, this might be your only chance.”**

 

Sora turned around to leave, but stopped when Vanitas suddenly appeared in front of him.

 

**“Hold on. There's one more thing I wanted to say.”**

 

Vanitas pointed at Sora’s chest.

 

**“...If I were you, I would consider trying to make her stay more...** **_permanent_ ** **. That way, you'll never have to hurt inside again.”**

 

**“Xehanort would be quite pleased with you if you found a way to do that. It might not be as hard as you think.”**

 

Sora placed a hand on his chest. His cheeks turned a faint shade of pink as he connected the dots in his mind. Vanitas said nothing as Sora bolted past him.

 

A sinister laugh escaped his mouth.

 

**“...Let's see what he does. Maybe I'll join with Ventus sooner than I thought….”**

 

****

 

Feeling much more confident about the situation, Kairi, Riku, and Lea made their way through the twists and turns in the castle. As they went deeper, still searching in every room, Lea became slightly concerned. Eventually, he stopped walking.

 

Riku and Kairi slowed down, noticing that he wasn’t moving anymore. He had a hand on his mouth, deep in thought about something.

 

“Lea?” Kairi approached him, getting his attention.

 

“Don't worry about me. It’s just…” Lea rubbed his head.

 

“...Something’s off. Isn’t it strange that we haven’t run into  _ any _ Organization members? I mean, I get that Mickey and the others are the distraction, but this all feels...a bit _ too  _ easy for us.”

 

Riku furrowed his brows.

 

“...We’ll have to be extra careful. As long as we don't lose sight of each other, we should be fi-”

 

Riku’s eyes widened when he felt someone grab his hand. He glanced back at Kairi in shock, whose face turned red.

 

“I’m sorry!” Kairi loosened her grip. “I figured it would be better if we held….well, never mind. I'll let go.”

 

“No, it's alright.” Riku smiled. “Sorry. I'm just not...used to it.”

 

“...Me neither. Is it still okay…?” Kairi inquired.

 

Riku rubbed the back of his neck.

 

“Sure. If it makes you feel better.”

 

Lea snickered at them. “...Hand-holding isn't a big deal, you two. Here, I'll join in.”

 

“Really?” Kairi opened her mouth a little in surprise.

 

“Yeah. No harm done.”

 

Lea took Kairi's other hand, making her feel even more flustered. A small bead of sweat fell from the side of his head.

 

“...Okay. You guys are making it weird.” Lea let go, and eventually Kairi and Riku did the same.

 

“...Sorry…” Kairi lowered her head, while the two boys waved their hands frantically.

 

“Hey no, it wasn't your fault!” Riku looked down. “...I was the one who made it awkward.”

 

“We all did.” Lea put his arms behind his head. “Let's keep going, alright?”

 

The trio continued to walk in silence. Kairi rubbed her arms, feeling nervous again. Being in the same castle where she'd been kidnapped wasn't very reassuring.

 

_ Kairi. _

 

She blinked, looking around with a perplexed expression.

 

“...Riku? Lea? Did you guys say something?”

 

They both looked at each other, then shook their heads.

 

“No. Why?” Riku asked.

 

Kairi shook her head.

 

“Never mind. I think it's just my nerves.”

 

_ Are you sure? _

 

Kairi tensed up, suddenly taking a step back. Riku turned around, noting that she placed a hand on her head.

 

“Kairi. Are you okay?” Riku’s voice was laced with concern.

 

Kairi curved her lips.

 

“...I think it could be Naminé. She speaks to me every once in a while.”

 

Lea frowned.

 

“...You never mentioned that before.”

 

“I thought I was just imagining it, that's why.” Kairi shuffled her feet. “...But after she warned me about Sora and Xehanort...I decided that it had to be real.”

 

“What's she telling you?” Riku placed a hand on her shoulder.

 

“I don't know.” Kairi rubbed the side of her head. “She just….stopped….”

 

Kairi looked past Riku, making eye contact with someone familiar. He smiled brightly at her and waved, like he always did. He looked...normal.

 

“...Sora?”

 

“What???” Riku spun around.

 

She blinked, and he was gone. Riku and Lea scanned the area, but there was no sign of him.

 

“There's...no one here.” Lea walked over to Kairi, crossing his arms.

 

“...You sure you're feeling alright? You can tell us the truth, you know.”

 

“I…” Kairi's voice quivered.

 

_ This kinda reminds me of something you told me before, Kairi. _

 

Kairi froze as Sora appeared again, walking past her.

 

_ You said...that our hearts are connected under one sky. One destiny. We always got through any obstacles we faced because of that connection.  _

 

_...I wanna believe that'll never change. No matter how far apart we are, or what happens to us. You, me, and Riku. We're a team.  _

 

Kairi gasped as a tear fell from his eye.

 

_...Don't forget that. Okay?  _

 

“Sora!!!” Kairi ran towards him, but he disappeared before she could reach him.

 

“Wait! Please!” Kairi teared up.  _ “Come back!!!” _

 

“Kairi, keep it down!” Lea covered her mouth, then ended up hugging her as she buried her face into his coat.

 

“Who's there?!?”

 

_ “Damn it!” _ Lea whispered under his breath. He pushed the younger teens into an empty room, then hid himself behind the door. Riku and Kairi scrambled to get under the bed.

 

_ Of all the times they could've shown up… _

 

Lea gritted his teeth, pulling his hood up over his head. It wouldn't do much as a disguise, but it was better than nothing. He peeked past the door for a split second to see who was coming.

 

He turned pale.

 

_ Isa. _

 

Lea tried to conceal himself even more behind the door. Of all the people it could've been…it had to be his ex-best friend, hellbent on exacting revenge.

 

...Today was just  _ not _ his day.

 

Saix stalked across the room, searching for any signs of intruders. He  _ swore _ he heard someone come in here…

 

Riku kept Kairi’s mouth covered as she breathed in and out shakily, eyes still red and swollen from the tears. Having a large build within such a cramped, confined space was beginning to make him uncomfortable. Riku tried to move his arm a little.

 

...He ended up bumping his elbow against the leg of the bed.

 

_ Crap. _

 

Saix heard it. He slowly approached the bed with a murderous gleam in his eyes. He stopped abruptly when someone cleared their throat loudly behind him. Isa turned around to see a hooded figure, with the zipper of their coat in obvious disrepair.

 

“Identify yourself.” Saix summoned his massive claymore.

 

Lea took a deep breath, then lowered his hood. Saix’s eyes widened. His expression quickly shifted from shock to rage.

 

**_“Y O U.”_ **

 

“H-hey, buddy!” Lea raised his hands. “How's it going? Did you ever get that promotion you wanted?”

 

Lea narrowly avoided a sword to the face, which Saix drove into the wall instead. Lea looked down at Riku and Kairi, who were still under the bed.

 

_ “...Run.”  _

 

Riku and Kairi ran for it, dishevelling the bed. Lea distracted Saix by pulling out his keyblade and deflecting his second attack. Kairi stopped for a moment and summoned her own weapon.

 

“Lea!”

 

“Forget about me!  _ Get out of here!” _ Lea pushed Saix back. “Go find Sora!”

 

“But…!”

 

“I'M NOT ASKING!” Lea yelled. “I can handle this, so just  _ go!  _ You're the only ones that can get through to him! You can't do it if you're DEAD.”

 

Kairi hesitated, but Riku grabbed her arm and dragged her away. Soon they were far enough that they could no longer see the room.

 

Kairi yanked her arm free from Riku.

 

_ “Why did you abandon him?!?”  _

 

“I'm not abandoning him.” Riku closed his eyes. “I left because he's right. If we get killed, we can't save Sora.”

 

“We'll go back for him. I  _ promise.  _ I’m sure he’ll be fine, though. Have a little faith.”

 

“...” Kairi sighed deeply.

 

“Okay. Where should we go first, then?”

 

Riku and Kairi jumped at the sound of footsteps approaching. They both summoned their weapons.

 

“Let’s find somewhere to hide. We should avoid confronting the Organization members head-on and catch them by surprise instead.” Riku tightened his grip on the handle of his keyblade.

 

They both hid behind two pillars nearby. As Kairi and Riku prepared themselves to attack, a soft, familiar voice spoke up.

 

“...Hello?”

 

Kairi exchanged an astonished glance with Riku. They cautiously poked their heads out of their hiding places to make sure. And, much to their surprise...it  _ was _ him.

 

Sora. Only...his appearance was jarringly different. He sported the black coat of the Organization, and it seemed a large chunk of his hair had already turned into a grayish-white. There was still enough brown for them to feel slightly less concerned. 

 

What worried them most was the eyes. They seemed vacant and dull, despite him having facial expressions they recognized. Kairi heart twisted at seeing the bags under them, and she swore she saw a scar or two on his neck.

 

Kairi’s heart lurched as he suddenly made eye contact. Sora immediately ran towards her.

 

_ “Kairi!”   _

 

Before she could say anything, Sora embraced her tightly.

 

“I knew you’d come sooner or later.”

 

Kairi hugged him back, despite the fact that he was just barely crushing her. Riku slowly got closer to them, still on edge. Sora finally noticed him after about two minutes.

 

“...Oh, Riku!” Sora hesitantly let go of Kairi. “You’re here too.”

 

“Sora…” Riku gazed at his best friend sadly. “...What  _ happened _ to you?”

 

Kairi carefully reached up to Sora’s neck. Up close, the scars were painfully obvious.

 

“Did they...do thi-”

 

Sora caught her hand before she could touch the scars, suddenly becoming serious. 

 

_ “Don’t.”  _

 

He let go, then smiled again.

 

“I’m so glad that you’re here. Both of you, of course.”

 

Kairi rubbed her fingers, which were still throbbing from his iron grip.

 

“...We’re just glad that we found you. You’re the only reason why we came.”

 

“And now that we did, we have to get out of here and meet up with the others.” Riku placed a hand on Sora’s arm.

 

“Let’s go home. We’ll fix this.”

 

Sora tilted his head.

 

“Leave…?”

 

“Yes?” Riku raised an eyebrow.   
  
“But….why do I have to leave? You could both stay with me. That would be easier.”

 

Riku and Kairi appeared visibly shaken by his statement.

 

“Sora. We can’t stay here, and neither can you.” Riku seemed frustrated.

 

“You don’t... _ belong  _ here. Not in a place like this.”

 

Sora hummed. “Then you can go. You don't have to be here. But Kairi can stay with me.” He placed both hands on her shoulders.

 

“I'll keep her safe.”

 

Riku grimaced, closing his hands into fists.

 

“Yeah, that's not happening.”

 

Sora shut his eyes, feigning disappointment.

 

“...What a shame. I really thought we could work something out, being friends and all. But if that's how you're gonna be…”

 

Riku took a step back as Sora pulled out his keyblade. Kairi gazed at it in horror, seeing that it was no longer his...but  _ Xehanort's. _

 

“...I guess I have no choice but to  _ make  _ you go away.” Sora sneered malevolently.

 

Kairi elbowed Sora in the ribs, making him double over. She pulled out her own keyblade and rushed over to Riku, who gripped his weapon tightly.

 

“I'll hold him off. Get out of here, Kairi.”

 

“I'm not leaving you!” Kairi protested. “We're doing this together, whether you want me to or not!”

 

Riku smiled faintly. 

 

“...Jeez. You're always so stubborn.”

 

Sora’s hands trembled as he overheard them. He lifted his head, glaring at them furiously.

 

_ “...Cute.  _ Though I don't appreciate being left out.  _ I'm  _ the one who cares more about her Riku, so stop getting in my way!!!”

 

Sora lunged towards Riku to attack, but Kairi blocked him. The two friends joined together to keep Sora at bay, which only seemed to anger him more. Sora unexpectedly teleported over to them and pushed Kairi onto the floor, to keep her away from Riku.

 

“Stop it!!! STOP IT!!!” Sora slammed his weapon against Riku’s, baring his teeth.

 

_ “SHE'S MINE!!!” _

 

They both started to sweat from all the strain. Sora was steadily gaining more leverage, pressing the keyblade closer and closer to Riku’s face. He held back a pained cry as Sora's keyblade grazed his cheek, leaving a cut. Kairi stood back up and rushed to Riku’s aid, only to be stopped by a sudden crippling weight, which sent her back to the floor. Kairi quickly realized that Sora had used a gravity spell on her. 

 

“Stop, Sora!” Kairi forced herself to stand up, despite the force of the magic. She commanded her arm to lift up, though it felt like it would snap if she pushed any more.

 

“Don't….do this! He's your...best friend!” Kairi gasped. 

 

Unable to handle the strain much longer, Kairi fell to her knees. Riku squeezed his eyes shut and yelled furiously as he rammed into Sora, propelling him back a few feet. Riku cried out as Sora started pelting him with several small energy balls made of darkness.

 

“Stop….” Kairi looked up at Sora pleadingly.

 

“...I'll go with you. I'll go with you wherever you want!” Kairi pressed her hands against the metal floor, staring down at it.

 

“...I'll join you. Just….leave Riku alone….”

 

Sora's eyes widened. He lowered his keyblade, much to Riku’s relief. The spell around Kairi vanished, and she rushed over to them both. Sora raised his weapon again to aim it at Riku’s neck, not even bothering to make eye contact with him. He was now entirely focused on Kairi, skidded to a halt. 

 

“...Do you...really mean that?” He asked innocently. 

 

Kairi nodded, suddenly feeling sluggish and drained from all her efforts to free herself from the freakishly effective magic. Gravity spells weren't normally that terrible to be under.

 

“Yes. I mean it.”

 

Sora's eyes lit up, gazing at Kairi with love and admiration.

 

“Oh! You seem tired. Do you want me to carry you?”

 

“...Only if you lower your weapon.”

 

Sora quickly put his keyblade away and sprinted over to Kairi. He lifted her up into his arms, blushing profusely. Kairi was starting to doze off from exhaustion. 

 

Riku cast a healing spell on himself for the wounds. It didn't help much, seeing his arms still ached. Riku tried taking a single step forward, but stopped when Sora gave him a menacing glare.

 

_ “Don't come any closer.” _

 

Riku raised his hands non-threateningly.

 

“I'm not trying to hurt you, Sora. I need you to  _ listen.” _

 

“I'm done listening to you.” Sora grimaced. 

 

“You wanted to take Kairi away from me. I'll never forgive you for that. She's mine.  _ Mine. No one else can have her.” _

 

Riku tensed up as a dark corridor formed behind Sora. 

 

“I'll go somewhere….somewhere  _ no one _ can bother us anymore. And if you try following me…”

 

Sora stepped back into the portal, with Kairi groggily reaching out to Riku.

 

_ “...I'll kill you.” _

 

“Wait!!!” Riku ran to them, but Sora made sure to close the portal before he could even reach it. 

 

Riku dropped down to his hands in the now empty hall. He fought back the urge to cry.

 

“...You idiot...Why would you...do what  _ I _ did….?”

 

Riku’s heart stopped when he felt something touch his cheek. It was faint, but still...warm.

 

_ “Riku. Don’t you remember what I told you before?” _

 

He recognized that voice. He didn’t even need to look up.

 

_ “...The light and the darkness will give you the strength you need. The strength to fight. To...protect what matters.” _

 

“Namine.” Riku smiled a little. “...How are you here?”

 

_ “Kairi’s heart called out to you, so I responded to your pain. But...I can’t stay long.” _ Namine lowered her head.

 

_ “I’m still a part of her. I go where she goes. The farther she gets, the more I’ll disappear.” _ She let out a humorless chuckle.

 

_ “...That’s besides the point, though. I know where Sora is going.” _

 

Riku lifted his head up to look at Namine. He noticed she was transparent. She clasped her hands together.

 

_ “...Castle Oblivion. It’s the last place anyone would try to look, since it’s hard to find as it is. At least...until the Organization found out its secrets.” _

 

Namine’s winced as her image glitched, becoming even more faint. Riku tried touching her, but his hand phased right through.

 

_ “It’s okay, Riku. Don’t worry about me.” _ She smiled at him.

 

_ “Go get Sora and Kairi. They need you.” _

 

Riku closed his eyes and nodded. Namine disappeared, leaving nothing but speckles of light.

 

“Riku!!!”

 

He stood up at the sound of Mickey’s voice. He turned around and was immediately tackled into a hug by the mouse, along with Donald and Goofy. Their clothes were torn in a few places, but it seemed like they were fine.

 

“Are ya alright?!?” Mickey tail twitched as he looked behind Riku, then all around. “Where’s Sora and Kairi???”

 

“...” Riku rubbed his arm.

 

“...I’m sorry. I failed again. Sora got away with her.”

 

Riku clenched his hands.

 

“But I know where they went. This time, I won’t mess up. Now, where’s Lea?”

 

“Over here, guys!!!”

 

The small group watched as Lea waved at them, just barely running. He had to stop a few times to catch his breath before he finally reached them. His coat looked even worse than before, and he had a few injuries on his face.

 

“...Just barely...got out of there…” Lea bent his back forward, breathing heavily. “...Pretty sure Isa’s gone berserk and he’s coming after me...so we should...leave…”

 

Donald cast a healing spell on him. His wand sputtered out one last bit of magic to help with Lea’s wounds.

 

“...Well. I’m all out of ethers.” Donald gulped. “I agree with Lea.”

 

“We’d better skedaddle, then!” Goofy got behind everyone and pushed them forward. “Come on, fellers! We ain’t got no time to lose! The Gummi Ship should be close by! Wait, can we carry five people…?”

 

“...I’ll call Merlin.” Riku pulled out his phone from his pocket, which had miraculously survived the fight. Albeit with a small crack. “I hope there’s some cell phone service here…”

 

Much to everyone’s surprise, the call went through. Merlin’s face was too close to the screen as he straightened his glasses.

 

“Riku, my boy!” Merlin said. “Is something the matter?”

 

“...Please teleport me and Lea out of here. And tell Master Yen Sid that I’ve got more information when we get back.”

 

“I’ll be there in a jiffy! Hang tight.”

 

Merlin hung up. Riku could hear the voices of Organization members approaching. Despite appearing as worn out and ragged as they were, they all summoned their weapons. Mickey led the way as they hurried through the halls to their escape.

 

_...Sora. Kairi. I’m coming. _

 

*****

 

Everything hurt.

 

Kairi’s muscles felt like they were on fire. All of the fighting along with that awful gravity spell had her not wanting to even  _ move _ . Despite this, she forced herself to open her eyes.

 

...She immediately regretted it as the sheer whiteness of the room nearly blinded her. Kairi decided to skip to the next step and sit up from...whatever she was lying on. It felt like a bed.

 

Feeling a bit more courageous, Kairi tried opening her eyes again. Once everything gradually came into focus, she realized that she was definitely inside a room.

 

...Where she was remained a mystery. It vaguely reminded her of the Organization’s castle, only...it felt too different to be the same place.

 

Before she could even get out of bed, Sora’s face popped up right in front of her.

 

“Morning!”

 

“GAH!!!” Kairi reflexively tried hitting him with a pillow, which he caught. Sora laughed enthusiastically at her. 

 

“Aww, did I scare you? That was cute.” Sora grinned.

 

“...Where are we?”

 

“It’s a secret.” Sora stood up straight. “...But if you can’t figure it out, I’ll just tell you.”

 

Kairi rubbed her messy head of hair.

 

“Castle Oblivion.” She raised a hand over her mouth. 

 

“How did I know that…?”

 

“Bingo!” Sora gave her a thumbs up. “Nice job, Kairi! Even though you technically cheated.”

 

“Wait, what?”

 

“Did you sleep well?” Sora said, ignoring her previous query. “Is there anything I can get you? Water, maybe? Or food? Or another pillow? Do you want to lie down again?”

 

“Wait, wait.” Kairi raised her hands. “Slow down. First off, I want to know how _ you’ve _ been.”

 

“Never better, now that you’re here.” Sora gave her a sincere smile.

 

“...What were you doing before I got up…?” 

 

_ “Watching you sleep.” _

 

That statement alone sent a mild chill up Kairi’s spine.

 

_...I kinda figured, and I was expecting him to confess...but not so….BLUNTLY… _

 

“...Sorry!” Sora rubbed his head, grinning awkwardly. “I guess I made you nervous, based on the look on your face….”

 

“It’s fine.” Kairi placed her hands back down on the bed. It really wasn’t, but she worried how he would react if she told him the truth...

 

“You’re lying, aren’t you.”

 

Shocked, Kairi opened her mouth to say something. He cut her off by placing a hand on her cheek.

 

“It’s okay. Fear is a good thing, you know. Lets you know that you’ve definitely got a heart. Adds a little more zest to life, or so I’ve heard.”

 

“...But honesty is good too! I’ve felt a lot less restrained to hide how I really feel. These last few weeks have been...liberating, in a sense.”

 

Sora sat down on the bed and scooted closer to her. He gently caressed her hair, watching her intently.

 

“...I could keep staring at you forever…” His cheeks flushed red. “Do you...feel the same way?”

 

Kairi turned her eyes away with a hurt expression. Sora removed his hand, lowering his head.

 

“...You don’t.”

 

“It’s not that.” Kairi shook her head.

 

“This is  _ wrong _ . You know that. I know you do. You say you like being honest now, but you won’t tell me what I need to hear the most.”

 

Kairi teared up.

 

“...You aren’t the Sora I know anymore. You’re  _ Xehanort, _ and you’re trying to mess with me. Just admit it.”

 

“I wouldn’t lie about my feelings for you!!!” Sora gripped Kairi’s arms, shaking her. 

 

“It’s the truth. I was too much of a _ coward _ to say anything before...” He spat bitterly.

 

“...Darkness makes me strong. Better. I’m not afraid anymore.”

 

“Then it’s just like you said.” Kairi met his eyes with a hard glare.

 

“...You don’t have a heart anymore if you aren’t afraid.”

 

The color drained out of Sora’s face, realizing the flaw in his logic. Kairi cautiously placed her hand on top of his.

 

“If you really care...you’ll let me walk out of this room. And you’ll come with me.”

 

Sora eyes darted from left to right. He was conflicted. Kairi slipped out of bed and started walking towards the door.

 

“I’ll...give you some space to think. I’ll be right outside.”

 

Kairi quietly closed the door behind her. She pressed her back against it, slid down into a crouch, then buried her face into her arms.

 

_...I was too hard on him. I...I hope he understands. _

 

Sora dug his hands into his hair, tugging at the strands.

 

_ No. No. This is wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. She was supposed to understand, but I’m just pushing her away… _

 

He rocked back and forth anxiously.

 

_ What do I do? I can’t lose her. I’ll die if I lose her. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t…. _

 

Sora stopped, remembering something that Vanitas had told him.

 

**_...If I were you, I would consider trying to make her stay more...permanent._ **

 

Kairi waited outside the room for several long minutes, becoming increasingly worried from the dead silence inside. She rose back up.

 

_...I should check on him. _

 

Kairi flinched when the door suddenly opened. Sora’s bangs were slick with sweat, covering his eyes.

 

“I’ve made my decision.”

 

Kairi dared to feel a bit of hope.

 

“You’ll...come with me?”

 

“...” Sora paused for a moment to consider it.

 

“...No.”

 

Kairi’s shoulders slumped. She should’ve expected as much. This was clearly going to be harder than she thought.

 

“At least...consider it?” Kairi looked down. “...We all miss you.”

 

“I have a better idea.”

 

Kairi stared at him in confusion. Her heart stopped when Sora summoned his keyblade.

 

“...What are you doing?” Kairi took a step back.

 

“What I should’ve done earlier.” An unnerving grin formed on Sora’s mouth. His yellow eyes seemed to glow through his whitish-brown hair.

 

_ “...What better way to have you by my side forever...than having your heart join mine?” _

 

_ “What???”  _ Kairi took another step back. “What are you _ talking _ about???”

 

“It worked before, didn’t it?” Sora stepped forward. “You were perfectly happy when it happened. You didn’t have to worry about anything. We were **together,** and I kept you **safe!”**

 

Kairi continued to back away as Sora tried getting closer, extending his hand towards her. Petrified, she accidently stumbled on her own legs and fell to the ground. Sora raised the keyblade above his head, giggling maniacally to himself.

 

“Don’t worry! I’ll protect your body! **I’ll make sure it rests peacefully beside me.”**

 

_ Kairi, RUN! _

 

Her instincts suddenly kicked in. She rammed her foot into Sora's legs, knocking him over. Kairi shot up and ran away from him as fast as she could. She pulled out her keyblade to defend herself in case he caught up to her. The moment she started hearing footsteps, Kairi cast a blizzard spell on the ground behind her to try and slow him down.

 

Kairi screamed as he teleported in front of her and attempted to slash at her chest. She ducked before he could land the hit and dodge rolled past him.  

 

“Kairi!” Sora exclaimed, smiling eagerly. “Kairi, come back!!!”

 

Kairi yelped as she dodged another strike. His keyblade drove into the wall instead, sending pieces of concrete flying. 

 

“Don't be so difficult, my princess! **I just want what's best for you!!!”**

 

Kairi kept running down the endless halls and flights of stairs hoping,  _ pleading _ that she would finally find the exit. She didn't have enough magical energy left to cast big spells, and she had no ethers either. 

 

Kairi stopped dead in her tracks, finally seeing something different at the bottom of the last staircase.

 

_...A door! And this one looks different! Maybe it's the exit! _

 

Kairi rushed over to the door and grabbed the handle. She pulled at it, but it didn't seem to budge.

 

_ No…! Come on! Open up!!! _

 

Kairi yanked at it with all her might, but had no luck. She stifled a scream as Xehanort’s blade drove into the wall, inches from her face. Kairi winced as Sora grabbed her arm and spun her around.

 

“Oh, Kairi. Kairi, Kairi, Kairi. My sweet princess.” Sora pulled her into a hug. 

 

“Did you honestly think I would let you get away?”

 

Kairi pulled away enough to knock his weapon out of his hands with her own keyblade. She aimed her blade at him as he calmly kneeled down to pick it back up. Sora smirked, noticing that her hands were trembling.

 

“Get….get back!” Kairi breathed in and out shakily. “I mean it!”

 

“Aww, don't be like that!” Sora laughed. “Besides, I know you would never attack me.”

 

“......” Kairi lowered her keyblade slightly.

 

“...You're right. But do I really have a choice if you're trying to hurt me?”

 

Sora looked at her in genuine surprise.

 

“What? No! That's not what I'm doing at all. Your heart will be safe as long as it's with me.”

 

“That's not the point!” Kairi said angrily. “What good is a life where I'm trapped for all eternity, unable to move or act on my own???”

 

“...You may have protected me that way in the past Sora, but that doesn't mean things were  _ meant _ to be that way. You can't hinder someone's life like that. You can't deny them the right to be free as their own  _ person.” _

 

Kairi placed a hand on her chest.

 

“...That kind of feeling...it's unbearable.”

 

Sora suddenly felt a horrible pain inside. Kairi gasped as his tears started falling from his empty, emotionless eyes.

 

“Sora???”

 

“It's fine. It's  _ fine _ .” Sora wiped the tears away. 

 

“It doesn't matter. None of it does. All I want is you.”

 

Sora drew back with his keyblade.

 

“Help me heal from all this hurt. Make me whole.”

 

Kairi had a split second to react as Sora aimed for her chest yet again. She cast a simple reflect spell, which already cracked when his blade made contact with it. Kairi struggled to keep it up as her magic continued to drain. Once it broke, all she would have was her keyblade. 

 

She feared it wouldn't be enough. He was too fast. She wouldn't deflect it in time. 

 

_ Riku….I'm sorry.  _

 

Just before she resigned herself to her fate, she watched as someone crashed into Sora at full speed.

 

“...Goofy???”

 

Riku and Donald set him down. They'd used him as a battering ram. Lowering his shield, he straightened his hat and smiled at her.

 

“Heya, Kairi! I hope we weren't too late!”

 

Kairi smiled faintly and shook her head.

 

“...No. You made it just in time.”

 

Riku approached and helped her stand up. 

 

“You okay?”

 

She nodded silently as tears filled her eyes. They both turned their heads as Sora shrieked. He charged at them, only to be blocked by Mickey, Lea and Donald. They fended him off with magic spells and blasts of light, which seemed to actually make him reel back in pain. 

 

**_“ENOUGH!!!”_ ** Sora shouted. A massive wave of darkness came out of his body, enveloping them all. Kairi felt Riku grab her hand before everything went black.

 

When the dust settled, Kairi noted that she could still see a little. She looked down at her chest, seeing that it was her pearl necklace that glowed ever so slightly. Riku was still there, but she couldn't see anyone else.

 

“Mickey! Donald! Goofy! Lea!” Kairi searched the area frantically. “Where are you?!?”

 

Kairi and Riku caught sight of sparks coming from something. They could just barely make out the shape of Sora, dragging his keyblade against the floor. Riku got in front of Kairi, lifting his arm in front of her defensively.

 

**_“Give her back. Give her back to me.”_ ** Darkness was seeping out of his skin as he trudged towards them. Seeing those golden eyes made Riku shiver.

 

“Riku…” Kairi lifted her keyblade. “...I don't have a lot of power left...but I have an idea.”

 

Riku looked over at her. She motioned for him to summon his keyblade, and he did.

 

“...We have to use the light. Maybe...it'll purify him.”

 

“And...what if it isn't strong enough?” Riku looked down at his blade. “...What if the light doesn't work for me? What if...I'm no better than Xehanort…?”

 

Kairi placed her hand on his shoulder.

 

“Don't doubt yourself now, Riku. You've always been too tough and reckless to back down from a fight. I know you can use the light, just like the rest of us.”

 

Kairi smiled at him, placing the tip of her keyblade next to his. Riku nodded, then looked over at his friend. Sora started running towards them.

 

_...I guess it's time for me to return the favor. Sora… _

 

_...We'll save you from the darkness! _

 

Joined together, Riku and Kairi’s keyblades let out an explosion of light. Sora screamed as it overpowered him completely.

 

The darkness in the room was gone, and everything was visible again. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, who had been together the whole time, opened their eyes once the blinding light had faded. Lea lowered his arm and rushed over to Riku and Kairi, checking to see if they were both alright. They all then approached Sora's unconscious body, which was lying on the floor.

 

Kairi got down on her knees to get a good look at him. The darkness that had been seeping out of him seemed to be fading away. She noticed one of his fingers twitch.

 

“...Sora?”

 

He groaned, saying nothing in response. Riku kneeled down next to Kairi while Lea crossed his arms.

 

“...Do you think it worked?” Lea rubbed his head.

 

As if he’d elicited a reply, Sora opened his eyes a little. The group leaned forward to get a better look at him.

 

...His eyes still had a lot of yellow in them...but Kairi could make out traces of blue. The colors fused together almost made them look light green.

 

“Sora.” Riku had a concerned expression on his face. “...How do you feel?” 

 

Sora looked between Riku and Kairi...and started crying. They said nothing else and hugged him, despite him not reciprocating. His hands shook, almost as if he was too afraid to even touch them. 

 

“It's okay.” Kairi closed her eyes.

 

“We'll...figure this out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this story! I...highly doubt I'll ever make something THIS dark again. Either way, thanks for reading!


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